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BYD Sells Another 2,200 Electric Buses & Taxis in China

Editor’s Note: we’ve been covering BYD’s cost-competitive electric bus for a long time now, and have enthusiastically shared news of many small orders, but orders totaling 1,800 electric buses is huge. Let’s hope we see more such orders soon.

On March 7, the company announced the sale of another 1,200 electric buses as well. These will be delivered to the city of Dalian in 2014 and 2015. During the ceremony,

“BYD Founder and CEO Chuanfu Wang introduced company milestones, R&D capabilities and products including the electric bus and fully electric e6 SUV being used worldwide in fleet applications. He also took the chance to talk about BYD’s latest consumer offering – the break-through, plug-in-hybrid, Qin. Chairman Wang highlighted operational statistics of the BYD electric fleets now totaling over 175 million Km traveled (~111 million miles in revenue service) and operating in many cities including recent projects in London, England and New York City. A key message from the BYD Chairman was that this technology is not just environmentally friendly, but very efficient and profitable for the operators as witnessed in the Shenzhen fleets. Zhenggao Chen, Governor of Liaoning province, expressed his view that BYD is a pioneer in the aspect of new energy vehicles, and is confident BYD will seize the opportunity to develop and keep mastering the core technologies for new energy vehicles to keep winning the war combating poor air quality.”

BYD is a publicly-traded company and 60% of the investors are Americans. Warren Buffet is among them. Berkshire Hathaway owns around 6% of BYD’s stock. Mr. Buffett and his colleagues recognize BYD’s breakthrough battery and EV technologies: an electrified, 24-hour, and long-range battery that provides emission-free, silent, and economic public and private transportation. (The Chinese Government does not have any shares.)

BYD all-electric, zero-emissions bus can travel 24 hours in service before charging during off-peak hours. – Photo: Business Wire)

The electric company’s greatest successes have been in China, where it was founded and the first BYD electric bus came off the assembly line in September 2010.

Two weeks ago, the company made an announcement in Bangalore, which is sometimes called India’s Silicon Valley, that a bus was launching there. The city has huge pollution problems, and 20% of its emissions come from the existing bus fleet!

The most recent cities to announce trials were Los Angeles, for 90 days, and Spokane, for 30.

After a 10-month trial run between Gatineau, Québec, and Ottawa Ontario, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) and AVT, a consortium of Québec’s nine transit agencies, recently confirmed that the bus achieves 155 miles of range and performs as advertised.

The distance record may come from Malaysia, where after a six-month trial, Prasarana Transit reported that the buses were getting more than 400 kilometers to a charge! Needless to say, they promptly ordered 15. After taking it out for a spin, the Governor of Malacca gave the bus a thumbs up. “The electric bus is very comfortable and very quiet, we like this kinds of zero emissions bus.”

Photo at top of page: BYD 12 meter (40-foot), zero-emissions, all-electric rapid-transit bus can travel up to 24 hours on a single night-time (off-peak) charge. – Photo via Business Wire

About the Author

Roy L Hales is the editor of the ECOreport (www.theecoreport.com), a website dedicated to exploring how our lifestyle choices and technologies affect the West Coast of North America and writes for both Clean Techncia and PlanetSave. He is a research junkie who has written hundreds of articles since he was first published in 1982. Roy lives on Cortes Island, BC, Canada.

What would make these buses very popular with riders is to let the computer control acceleration. Eliminate the ‘foot to the floor’ starts that some drivers seem to enjoy, the ones that send people lurching back the aisle.

Greencar

This bus will take off like no other bus in the history of mankind. 155 miles on one charge, phenomenal.

BK Sharma

Buddy is awesome brand name; what’s wrong

JamesWimberley

If it weren’t for the awful “Hello Kitty” – style name, BYD – which started out as a battery company – would get more recognition for its achievement, which deserves the overused term breakthrough. All the big auto companies have been left standng.

Wind Energy

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